


Just For The Night

by theblackrose777



Category: Karneval
Genre: Alternate Universe - Prostitution, Fluff and Angst, M/M, Smut, Yaoi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-04-27
Updated: 2014-07-23
Packaged: 2018-01-21 01:42:15
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 15,310
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1533053
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/theblackrose777/pseuds/theblackrose777
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Yogi gets lost in an unfamiliar city and happens upon Gareki, a prostitute who offers to assist him for a price. Unable to get him out of his head, Yogi becomes determined to break through Gareki's cold indifference and discover his true character.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Fatigue was beginning to set in as Yogi attempted to navigate the streets of unfamiliar Tokyo. Night had fallen on the city before Yogi had a chance to get back to his hotel, leaving him to make his way in the dark. He left his friends to go to the Nyanperona store, thinking he would only be gone for a short while. Tsukumo had suggested she accompany him, but he didn’t want to make her do something that would bore her. Now he was regretting that she hadn’t come with him.

“I swear I’ve been down this street before,” Yogi muttered to himself, growing increasingly worried as his violet eyes scanned the street signs. Sighing, he stopped and leaned against the nearby building. He just needed to regain a bit of composure before he started to walk again. He pulled his phone out of his pocket and tried to turn it on for the hundredth time, despite knowing the battery had been dead for hours.

“Are you lost or something?”

Yogi was surprised as he heard the voice beside him, looking up to see a dark haired boy. He looked a little younger than him, but his expression was far more jaded. “Um, yeah I guess I am. I can’t seem to find my way back to where my friends and I are staying,” he responded with an embarrassed smile.

“Are you an idiot? Who gets so lost they are still wandering the streets at this hour?” the boy raised an eyebrow.

“Huh? You’re so mean! It’s not my fault I lost my way. I’ve never been here before!” Yogi cried, startled by this stranger’s blunt comment. “How can you talk like that to someone you don’t even know?”

“Why should that matter? I’d talk like this to anyone,” the brunette shrugged, leaning against the wall beside Yogi. “Listen. It’s late, so why don’t you just stay somewhere until morning? I’m sure your friends can wait until then.”

“But I don’t know where I am. How am I supposed to find a hotel?” the blonde replied. “Do you know of one close by?”

“Maybe. But if I show you, you have to do something for me,” the boy suddenly grinned, moving closer to Yogi.

“W-what is it?” Yogi stuttered, feeling a little uncomfortable with the other boy’s closeness.

“Have sex with me.”

Yogi was sure he must have misheard what the boy had just said. Either that or it was a joke. It had to be. There was no way this stranger just asked him what he thought he did. “You…you’re not serious…right?” he asked with unease, not sure if he really wanted an answer.

“I’m not the kind of person who jokes around. I’m making you a business deal, that’s all,” the brunette responded straightforwardly.

“Why would you even suggest something like that?! There’s no way I’m having sex with you!” Yogi exclaimed as he backed away in shock. “I don’t even know you! And you’re a boy!”

“So? You need a place to stay for the night, and I need the money. I swear I don’t have any diseases. I won’t even charge you full price if you are worried about the cost.” He moved closer to the blonde once more, not allowing him to get away.

Yogi was frozen in place, too astonished to know what to do. He was being propositioned by a teenage boy in the middle of the street. Out of everyone he could have run into in the city, it had to be a male prostitute. Now that he thought about it, this really didn’t look like the greatest part of town. If he hadn’t of gotten lost this wouldn’t have happened. He silently cursed his own ineptitude. “I-I really think I should just look for a hotel by myself.”

The brunette smirked, his steely eyes sultry as he placed a hand on Yogi’s chest. “Come on. I’ll make you feel really good, I promise,” he leaned in and whispered, trailing his fingers down the blonde’s torso.

Yogi shuttered involuntarily beneath his fingertips. For a second his mind went blank, but then he remembered what was happening. This boy really was serious. For some reason, it made him a little sad. He was obviously desperate for money if he was willing to go to such lengths. Perhaps Yogi could let him take him to the hotel and then he could pay him without the…other part. “Okay…You can take me there.”

The boy backed away with a satisfied smile. “Well then, shall we?” he motioned for Yogi to follow him down the street.

As they walked together, Yogi suddenly realized something. “Oh! I never introduced myself! I’m Yogi. What’s your name?” he asked with a smile.

The boy’s eyes widened a bit, as if it was a strange thing to be asking. “It’s Gareki…”

“Well Gareki, nice to meet you.” He held out his hand for the brunette to shake.

Gareki looked uninterested at his extended hand. “If you want to hold hands, I’ll have to charge you extra,” he said flatly.

“That’s not what…oh never mind.” Yogi put his hand in his pocket, feeling incredibly awkward. This guy really must not be used to normal relationships.

The two of them walked a few blocks until they finally reached the hotel. It seemed like a relatively standard hotel; Yogi was glad considering the neighborhood he had just come from. Thankfully they still had rooms available.

“Thanks for helping me find this place. You’re a life saver,” Yogi smiled at Gareki as he opened the door to his room. “Um, how much do I owe you?”

“A hundred is fine.” Gareki took a seat on the edge of the bed as he waited for the blonde to pay him.

Yogi scrounged up the money from his wallet, glad that he had taken out so much cash for his trip. “Here, I want you to have this with no strings attached. You helped me, so I want to help you. You don’t have to do anything with me…” He flushed with embarrassment as he held out the money for Gareki.

“Are you kidding me? I thought we made a deal.” Gareki’s expression grew dark as he eyed the money.

“Huh? I thought you just needed the money. If someone is willing to give it to you for free, isn’t that better than having to do…that?” Yogi asked in surprise. He thought the brunette would have been relieved.

“I’m not a fucking charity case, okay? I don’t want your handouts.”

“I’m sorry…I didn’t think you would be upset…” Yogi mumbled dejectedly.

Gareki’s glare eased as he stood, walking up to the blonde. “I can earn a living _myself_. Believe me, you’ll get your money’s worth. I never disappoint.” He pressed his lips against Yogi’s without warning, backing him against the wall.

“Mm…!” Taken completely off guard, Yogi had no time to react as Gareki captured his lips. He struggled against the brunette, but he had his arms pinned firmly in place. His resolve slowly crumbled as the heat between them grew, and he found himself kissing the younger boy back.

Feeling the tension release in the other boy’s body, Gareki loosened his hold, slowly guiding Yogi toward the bed. He kissed him with more fervor, pleased when Yogi’s lips parted to allow his tongue entrance.

Yogi was so lost in the moment that he didn’t notice that the brunette had maneuvered them far from the wall. Suddenly he was being pushed down, shocking him back into coherence. His eyes widened as he realized Gareki was unbuttoning his pants. “Wait! You don’t have to do this!” the blonde shouted as he snatched the other boy’s wrist.

“Calm down,” Gareki shook off Yogi’s hand and pulled off his jeans. “Just lay back and relax. I don’t mind doing all the work.”

“But you don’t understand. I’ve never done this before…”

“You’re a virgin? That’s adorable,” Gareki smiled. He began to massage Yogi’s cock through his boxers. “I’ll be your first then.”

Yogi gasped as the brunette slipped off his boxers, his cheeks flushed with embarrassment as he lay there exposed. Gareki took a hold of his cock and before he could object, he was inside the other boy’s mouth. He wanted to shut his eyes and turn away, but he couldn’t take his eyes off of the scene playing out before him. He watched as the brunette expertly worked his mouth along his length, as if he had done this a hundred times before. Yogi couldn’t help but wonder exactly how many times. A tinge of sadness came back, but was instantly blocked out as Gareki took him in the whole way to his throat. “That…that feels really good…” he said breathily, moving his hand to rest on Gareki’s head. He unconsciously urged him on, lightly pushing his head back and forth. He could feel himself fast approaching his climax.

“It’s okay, you can come. We still have a long night ahead of us,” Gareki said as he paused for a moment, looking rather pleased with himself. He slowly licked Yogi from base to tip before continuing to eagerly suck on him.

“Gareki…” Yogi couldn’t hold back any longer, coming hard inside the brunette’s mouth. “S-sorry!” he cried, his face red with embarrassment. The blush in his cheeks grew as he watched Gareki swallow and lick his lips, never taking his eyes off the blonde.

“Don’t be. You taste good,” Gareki grinned provocatively. “And look, you’re still hard. Seems like you’re more turned on than you care to admit. Here, put this on. You don’t seem like the kind of guy who carries these around.” He pulled a condom out of his pocket and tossed it to Yogi as he stripped his clothes off.

Yogi opened the condom and slid it on, his hands shaking. He was unsure why he was being so complicit; as wrong as the whole situation felt, he didn’t want to stop. Yogi looked up at Gareki and his heart leapt. Most people who looked at the brunette would probably assume he was in poor health, but Yogi found his thin build and porcelain skin to be rather beautiful.

“Like what you see?” Gareki teased, smirking as Yogi became flustered and turned away. He climbed on top of the blonde, positioning himself over his erection.

“Wait! Um…isn’t it going to hurt you?” Yogi asked hesitantly. He had no experience in this area, but he knew enough to understand that Gareki was going to be in pain if he wasn’t prepared.

“It’s fine. This is about you feeling good, not me,” Gareki said indifferently. He placed a hand on Yogi’s chest to steady himself as he slowly lowered his hips, his eyebrows knit together in discomfort.

Yogi sighed as he felt himself being enveloped in tight, warm flesh. He instinctively moved his hips, eliciting a moan from Gareki as he filled him completely.

“It’s all in…I’ll move for you.” Gareki said as he began rocking his hips.

Sweet numbness spread throughout Yogi’s body, the sensation so intense he had to fight the urge to come. He was having sex with a total stranger, but any reservations he had vanished as pleasure clouded his mind.

“Does it feel good inside of me?” the brunette asked, a lewd smile playing across his lips.

“So good…” Yogi sighed, unable to get out any other words; they didn’t even beginning to express how he felt. He wondered if Gareki was getting any enjoyment out of this. Yogi reached out and began to stroke Gareki’s half-stiff cock, hoping to make him feel as good as he did.

“I told you, you don’t have to do anything for me,” Gareki objected, but Yogi continued nonetheless. His touches made him forgot about the pain as pleasure took its place. He rarely had a customer take any consideration for him. He bent down and kissed the blonde deeply, their tongues sliding frantically around one another.

As their lips parted, Yogi was taken aback by the vulnerable expression on Gareki’s face. He looked much sexier when he was displaying honest emotion, not putting on a promiscuous act. He wanted to see more of this side of him. Placing a hand on the brunette’s waist, he began to thrust inside of him, matching his movements with Gareki’s. He couldn’t believe his boldness, but his desire had entirely taken over his reason.

Gareki gripped Yogi’s shoulders tightly, steadying himself as he was pounded into from below. He was amused that the blonde had begun to take some initiative, but any smug comment he thought to make was lost as Yogi hit his most sensitive spot. “Ah…right there. Keep doing it just like that.”

Gareki’s cries of pleasure spurred Yogi on; he sped up his pace, aiming for that spot over and over again. The brunette was squeezing tighter around him and he knew he wasn’t going to be able to hold on much longer.  “Gareki, I can’t take it anymore… I’m coming…!” Yogi cried, blinding waves of ecstasy washing over him as he climaxed.  Gareki trembled in his hands as he approached his orgasm as well, searing heat pouring onto his stomach.

All his strength sapped, Gareki slumped onto Yogi’s chest, a satisfied look on his face. “I told you it was worth it, didn’t I?”

“You did…” Yogi replied, still trying to catch his breath. There was no denying that what he had just experienced was amazing. “Um...was it okay for you?” he asked with uncertainty.

“You were pretty good, for a virgin,” Gareki chuckled. “You’re a weird guy. Most people who pay for sex don’t care how the other person feels as long as they are getting what they want.”

“I didn’t want to pay you for sex, remember? Don’t count me as one of those people,” Yogi protested. “Hey, where are you going?” Gareki was getting up and he grabbed his hand to stop him.

“I should probably get going now. Don’t you have to get to sleep so you can get up and find your friends or whatever?”

Yogi frowned; for some reason he didn’t want Gareki to leave. After sharing something so personal with him, it seemed wrong for him to just get up and go. “Do you think you could stay the night? I…I don’t want to be here all alone.”

Gareki raised an eyebrow, confused by the blonde’s request. “I don’t normally do things like that. I suppose it would be all right, though,” he shrugged.

Yogi smiled, turning off the light and settling into bed as Gareki got under the covers with him. He wrapped an arm around the brunette and held him close, comforted by the warmth between them. Although they had been intimate only moments ago, Gareki was noticeably uncomfortable as he lay beside him. He couldn’t help but think Gareki was the weird one. Yogi still hadn’t quite processed what they had done; all he knew now was that he was exhausted. “Well, goodnight, Gareki,” he said softly as he closed his eyes for the night.

“Night…Yogi.”


	2. Chapter 2

Yogi woke up late the next morning, surprised to find he was alone. When did Gareki leave? He knew it was stupid and had no idea why he felt this way, but a small part of him had hoped they would wake up together. As he reached for the light, he noticed a note on the nightstand scribbled on hotel stationary.

_You were never going to find your friends while your phone was dead, so I fixed that for you. Try not to be such an idiot next time._

Next to the note sat his phone, plugged into the wall with what must have been Gareki’s charger. Yogi smiled to himself as he unplugged the phone and turned it on. His expression abruptly turned to horror as he saw how many missed calls and texts he had. With everything that happened last night, it had slipped his mind just how worried his friends must be. He immediately dialed Jiki’s number.

“Yogi? Is that you?” Jiki’s voice on the other end of the line was a mixture of shock and relief.

“Yeah, it’s me. And don’t worry, I’m completely fine.”

“Where the hell were you last night? We tried calling you a thousand times! The girls wanted to call the police, but I convinced them that knowing you, your phone must have died or something.”

“Actually, that’s exactly what…”

“Is that Yogi? Give me the phone Jiki!”

Yogi cringed as he heard Kiichi’s voice in the background. He was in for it now.

“DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA WHAT YOU PUT US THROUGH LAST NIGHT?!  YOU ARE THE MOST IRRESPONSIBLE DUMBASS I’VE EVER MET!” She was livid, as expected.

“You don’t understand Kiichi! My phone died and I got completely lost and I tried to find my way back but I couldn’t remember the name of the hotel and…”

“I don’t care what kind of bullshit excuse you have! Text me your address and STAY PUT. We’ll come and get you.”

She hung up on him, probably saving the real lecture for when she saw him in person. Yogi quickly took a shower and headed down to the lobby to wait for his friends. He was increasingly nervous about what they were going to say to him, but even more nervous that they would ask for details about what he did last night. He was a terrible liar.

Tsukumo walked into the lobby and ran over to Yogi, throwing her arms around him. “Thank God you are okay! We were so worried about you!”

She didn’t seem angry with him at all; Yogi could always count on Tsukumo to be the reasonable one. Looking over her shoulder he saw the other two approaching, a look of serious aggravation on Kiichi’s face. “I’m really sorry, everyone! I should have been paying more attention to where I was going. I swear it won’t happen again. I won’t go off by myself anymore.”

“Who would guess you were 21? We have to hold your hand so you don’t get lost like a little child,” Jiki laughed, jokingly grabbing his hand and leading him out the door.

“Yeah, yeah,” Yogi pulled his hand back, looking away in embarrassment.

“If you were going to be this bothersome, I don’t know why we asked you along with us in the first place,” Kiichi chimed in. “Do you mind telling us what you were doing for all those hours you were gone?” she glared at him, waiting impatiently for an answer.

“Well, after I got lost I realized my phone was dead and I couldn’t call you to come get me, so I tried to find my way back alone.” Yogi stared at the sidewalk as he spoke, not daring to look at Kiichi. “It was getting really late and I ran into this boy who showed me to a place I could stay for the night, and I guess that’s it.”

“It sound like you had quite a night. It’s lucky you found someone to help you,” Tsukumo smiled.

No one seemed interested in asking about the boy or what he had done in the hotel. Yogi breathed a sigh of relief. They would never have to know what happened. It wasn’t as if he was ever going to see Gareki again. “Do you guys want to grab some lunch? I’m starving,” he suggested, steering the conversation in a different direction to be safe.

“Sure, sounds good. I have a whole list of things I want to do after that,” Jiki grinned as they continued on their way.

The four of them spent the day shopping and sightseeing in the city, amazed at how much there was to see and do there compared to their small town. Despite the fun he was having, Yogi couldn’t seem to get his mind off of Gareki. Their night continued to replay endlessly in his head. It was hard to believe that it really happened, that it wasn’t just a dream. Never in a million years would he have guessed that was how he was going to lose his virginity. Maybe it was a naive way of thinking, but he had always thought that sex should be something that took place between two people who loved each other. No matter how impersonal his encounter with Gareki was, he couldn’t find a way to separate his feelings from what they had done. He felt like they shared a connection now. As embarrassed as he was by what happened, he couldn’t bring himself to regret it either. Something about being with Gareki felt so right.

Yogi wished he had met the brunette under different circumstances, that he had a chance to get to know him. He kept wondering over and over what had happened to Gareki that made him feel like he had to sell his body for money. Didn’t he have family, or at least friends, to help him get by? Someone that young shouldn’t have to live in such a way. If only he could see him again, maybe there would something he could do for him…

“Yogi? Did you hear what I said?”

Yogi turned his head as Jiki’s voice shocked him back to the present. “Sorry, I was just thinking about something…what did you say?”

“We were just talking about going to a club tonight. You in?” Jiki’s amber eyes shined with anticipation; he very obviously wanted to go and wouldn’t take no for an answer.

“Of course!” he smiled brightly. Yogi wasn’t sure if a club was really his scene, but the girls seemed excited to go as well; he didn’t want to ruin everyone’s fun again.

He followed everyone back to the hotel to get ready, the girls going their separate way as he and Jiki entered their room. The blonde had absolutely nothing to wear to a club, so Jiki lent him some clothes. He looked at himself in the mirror after he got dressed; he wasn’t sure if the skin tight jeans and dark gray button-down suited him, but he didn’t have much of a choice. He peered into the bathroom and saw Jiki spraying on what was probably too much cologne.

“Yogi? Should I wear my glasses or my contacts? Which do you think Tsukumo likes better?” he called out.

“Still trying to impress her? I really don’t think she cares about little things like that.”

“I know, but I have a good feeling about tonight,” Jiki replied as he stepped out of the bathroom. He opted for contacts after all, his light colored eyes standing out more than usual against his dark hair. “Hey, can I ask you something?”

“Sure. What is it?” Yogi was a little surprised as he noticed the amused expression Jiki was wearing, as if he knew something the blonde didn’t.

“What were you _really_ doing last night? I know you left out some important details.”

Yogi’s heart stopped; how could he possibly know? He had made sure he gave away nothing about Gareki. “I don’t know what you’re getting at,” he answered, trying his hardest to sound clueless.

“Come on, it’s just you and I. The girls don’t have to know. That hotel we found you at, I know for a fact that it’s popular with prostitutes. I read up on all the areas of the city before we left, and you were in a section notorious for that sort of thing. What I want to know is why you didn’t tell me about your little plan.”

“Are you crazy? You…you think I went out last night trying to pick up a prostitute?” Yogi cried, his chest tight as he began to panic. “I got lost and I had nowhere else to sleep! Do you actually think I would do something like that? Do you even know me at all?”

“I did think it was surprising. I mean, I never took you for someone who would be interested in that. You’re really telling me it was just a coincidence?” Jiki raised an eyebrow, unsure of what to make of Yogi’s outburst.

“I ended up there completely by accident, I swear.” Yogi looked like he was about to cry; he hadn’t meant to fly off the handle like that.

“Okay, I believe you! You can calm down now. I shouldn’t have made assumptions, I’m sorry.” Jiki put a hand on the blonde’s shoulder. “Are you ready to go downstairs? The girls will probably be ready soon.”

“Yeah, let’s head down,” Yogi sighed, the two of them taking the elevator to the lobby.

* * *

 

“Wow, Tsukumo… you look amazing,” Jiki remarked as the girls met back up with them. She was wearing a tight fitting pink dress, her platinum hair left loose around her shoulders.

“Thank you…you look nice too,” she blushed. She was never able to get used to the compliments he showered upon her.

Kiichi rolled her eyes impatiently. “Can we go already? We are going to have to wait in line forever if we stand here any longer!”

“Loosen up! We are supposed to be having fun tonight,” Jiki teased, throwing his arm around Kiichi’s shoulder and pulling her close. She immediately shook him off, a perturbed look on her face as she slid into the cab, the rest of them piling in after her.

After a short drive and a considerable wait, they finally got into the club. Yogi was overwhelmed by the flashing lights and pulsing music. The room was already full of people, most of them gathered on the dance floor.

“Come on, Tsukumo! Let’s dance!” Jiki grinned, pulling her along with him into the crowd.

“Sure, go ahead and just leave us here!” Kiichi shouted back, folding her arms across her chest in annoyance.

Yogi stood beside her awkwardly, unsure of what to do now that it was just the two of them. “Um, do you want to dance, Kiichi?”

“With you? As if,” she replied bluntly. “Let’s just grab a drink while Jiki is busy making a fool of himself.”

As they made their way over to the bar, an attractive man tapped Kiichi on the shoulder and asked her if he could buy her a drink. She readily agreed, a flirty smile on her face as she walked off with him.

“Kiichi wait!” Yogi called out, but either she didn’t hear him or she was ignoring him. Sighing, he ordered himself a beer and took a seat at the counter. He wasn’t usually much of a drinker, but he felt so out of place here. At least they were playing good music. He took a sip of his drink and glanced down the bar; his eyes widened as he noticed a dark haired boy sitting at the far end.

_Gareki?_

It was undoubtedly him. He was speaking with another man, a playful glint in his steel blue eyes. No, not speaking, _flirting_. Gareki was not here to have fun, he was working. Yogi turned away, feeling uncomfortable watching them. For some reason, he couldn’t stand the idea of the brunette hitting on other men. He downed the rest of his beer and stood up, slowly walking over to where Gareki was sitting. His heart was pounding so loud he was sure Gareki would hear it as he approached.

The brunette was startled as he noticed Yogi, but his expression quickly turned amused. “Well, if it isn’t the little lost puppy I picked up last night.”

“H-hey Gareki. What are you doing here?” the blonde asked nervously, knowing full well what Gareki was doing there. The brunette had on an off-the-shoulder black top that clung tightly to his lithe figure. Yogi had the sudden urge to touch his fair, exposed skin.

 “Oh I was just having a chat with…what was your name again? Tsukitachi? Anyway, I’m much more surprised to see you here. I definitely wouldn’t have expected you to show up in a place like this.”

“I’m here with my friends. They thought it would be fun.”

“But you’re not having fun,” Gareki replied, detecting the undertone of discomfort in the blonde’s voice. “I can change that, if you’d like.” He held out his hand for Yogi to take, his eyes silently urging the blonde to accept.

Yogi hesitated for a moment, knowing what happened last time he went somewhere alone with Gareki. It was true, though, that he wasn’t having a good time. His friends were off doing their own things; why shouldn’t he? He slowly reached out and took the brunette’s hand.

“Nice talking to you, but it seems I now have other plans. Maybe next time,” Gareki casually addressed the man he was talking to earlier, who now appeared to be quite irritated. Continuing to hold Yogi’s hand, he led the blonde to the bathroom, pushing him into an empty stall.  “There, now we are alone.”

“That other guy, he looked pretty annoyed. Are you sure you didn’t want to go with him?” Yogi asked, feeling even more awkward now that they were enclosed in such tight quarters.

“If I can deal with someone I already know things go much more smoothly. With a stranger, I never know what they are going to pull,” Gareki answered straightforwardly. “Besides, you are much cuter.”  He gently touched Yogi’s cheek, slowly bringing his lips to his.

Yogi backed away with a start, almost running into the toilet. “You want to do that sort of thing in here?” he asked, a bit repulsed by the idea.

“Why not? This is what you wanted to do right?” Gareki responded, confused by the blonde’s reluctance. “You’re the one who approached me.”

“Yeah, because I thought I should say hello! Oh! And to give you this,” Yogi unzipped his jacket pocket and pulled out Gareki’s charger. “I didn’t think I’d run into you again, but I decided to carry it with me just in case.”

Gareki looked down at the charger in Yogi’s hand, a puzzled expression on his face. “Keep it. I have a spare one at home.” He glanced up at the blonde, even more perplexed as he noticed the warm smile on his face. “You…you really just wanted to talk to me? I don’t get you…”

“I wasn’t sure what we would do,” Yogi replied, a slight blush staining his cheeks. “But I do want to know more about you. You seem like an interesting person.”

“What?” Gareki suddenly laughed, apparently finding something the blonde said quite funny. “Face it; you want the same thing from me everyone else does. You’ve probably been thinking about what we did last night all day.”

“M-Maybe I have been, but that’s not the point. Hey, hold on!” Yogi cried as Gareki began to undo his belt.

“Shh! You have to be quieter. The bathroom is empty now, but someone could come in any minute. Makes it more exciting, right?” Gareki said before sealing Yogi’s lips with his own.

As the brunette kissed him, something inside Yogi snapped. He wasn’t sure whether it was the beer he drank or the softness of Gareki’s lips; he just knew he wanted more of this. He picked up Gareki and pushed him against the wall of the stall, pleased as he felt the brunette wrap his legs around his waist. He moved his lips down Gareki’s neck to the uncovered skin he was eyeing before, sucking hard enough to leave a bruise.

“You’re much more aggressive today,” Gareki remarked, sighing as he began his grind his hips into the other boy’s.

The heat pooling in his groin was too much for Yogi. He unbuttoned Gareki’s pants and pulled out his hardening cock. The brunette did the same to him and they began to jerk each other off. Yogi did everything he could to hold his voice back as Gareki stroked him over and over. As nervous as he was that someone would walk in on them, he couldn’t stop himself. The way he was touching Gareki was almost frantic. He could feel his hand getting slick, liquid leaking from the brunette’s erection.  Gareki let a small moan escape, spurring Yogi further on.

“I want more… I want to get closer,” Yogi said through heavy breathes.

They shifted so their cocks were pressed together, being stroked at the same time. The heat between them was becoming unbearable. They moved their hands faster, desperate for release.

“Let’s come together,” Gareki whispered in Yogi’s ear, the hand that was on the blonde’s shoulder gripping him tighter.

Utterly at his limit, Gareki’s words sent Yogi over the edge. He bit his lip to silence himself, his body shaking as he climaxed. Gareki had also reached orgasm, their hands covered in cum from their simultaneous ejaculation. The image was so obscene Yogi could hardly bear to look. He tried to calm himself as he set Gareki down, beyond relieved that no one had come into the bathroom. He reached down and grabbed some toilet paper, wiping off his hands and Gareki’s.

“You’re bleeding.”

Yogi looked up at Gareki, startled by his words. “I am? Where?”

“Here.” Gareki leaned in and licked the blood off of Yogi’s lip where he had bit down. He laughed to himself as noticed Yogi was blushing. “After all that this is what you choose to get embarrassed about? You’re completely hopeless.” He shook his head as he opened the stall door, letting Yogi out first.

As Yogi stepped out, he suddenly remembered something. “Oh yeah, how much do I owe you?” He hated to even ask the question. Even though they had only just met, he was starting to feel like there was something special between him and Gareki. He was inexplicably drawn to him. But it didn’t matter how he felt; to Gareki, Yogi was just a way to make some quick cash. The thought sent a pang through his heart.

“Well, you did go out of your way to try to return my charger, so I suppose you can consider that a thank you.”

“Really? Wow, that is some thank you,” Yogi smiled awkwardly. He cast away his previous thoughts about the brunette, pleasantly surprised by this turn of events. He knew there was a lot more to Gareki than he cared to show. This proved it. Yogi leaned in, placing a soft kiss on Gareki’s lips.

“Yogi? What the fuck!?”

Yogi’s body froze in fear. There in the doorway was Jiki, staring at him in sheer bewilderment.                  

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks so much for the positive feedback I've received about this story so far! I'm still not sure how many chapters this is going to be, but I look forward to hearing what you think. Reviews are much appreciated!


	3. Chapter 3

“Jiki! This isn’t what it looks like!” Yogi panicked, kicking himself for shouting out the most clichéd excuse in the book. It was always what it looked like.

“Yeah, I’m sure you just tripped and fell into his lips,” Jiki retorted. “Really, Yogi? Hooking up in the bathroom…with a freaking guy? What is wrong with you?”

Jiki’s words stung like acid; Yogi had never heard him speak this way before. “I can explain…” the blonde trailed off, unsure of what to say next. He couldn’t bear to look into those accusing amber eyes any longer.

“He was with me because you dragged him here and then ditched him. Some friend you are,” Gareki interjected, focusing his steely glare on Jiki.

Jiki narrowed his eyes, looking at the younger boy with disgust. “Who the hell is this, Yogi? He’s dressed like a goddamn prosti….ah, I get it now,” his tone changed, coming to a sudden realization. “This is that boy from the other night, right? You said some guy helped you find that hotel.”

“Yeah, it’s him, but you don’t understand Jiki…”

“I fucking knew it. You did pick up a prostitute, and you outright lied about it to me. No wonder, though. You probably didn’t want to admit you fucked a teenage boy.”

Yogi held back tears, every word Jiki spoke causing him more and more humiliation. He kept what he had done a secret for a reason. He knew his friends wouldn’t understand, but he never thought he would be ridiculed like this. “Jiki, I’m sorry…”

“You don’t have to apologize to this asshole,” Gareki spat, standing in front of Yogi protectively. His face was uncomfortably close to Jiki’s as he began to address him. “You call yourself his friend, but you’re treating him like this? See, this is why you can’t trust anyone. He thinks you have his back, but apparently all it takes is one little thing you don’t like to turn on him. If you’re going to stand there and be a judgmental prick then why don’t you just fuck off.”

“Don’t talk to me like you know me,” Jiki shot back, forcefully pushing Gareki away from him. “There is no way the Yogi I know would ever get involved with a common whore like you. I don’t know what you did to him, but you’re the one who needs to fuck off before you do any more damage.”

“Oh, so now you’re acting like you want to protect him? That’s hilarious. Weren’t you the one just talking to him like he was trash?”

“You’ve got that wrong. The only trash I see here is you.”

That was the last straw. Before Yogi could stop him Gareki punched Jiki square in the jaw, knocking him to the floor.

“That’s enough!” the blonde shouted, grabbing Gareki’s arm to prevent him from swinging again.

“What is going on in here?”

All three boys looked up and saw a burly man standing in the doorway. They recognized him as the bouncer who let them in.

“You boys have five seconds to take this outside or I’ll throw you out myself,” the man said authoritatively. There was clearly no disobeying his order.

Jiki got up off the floor, his hand on his bruised jaw. He shot the other two a dark glare before leaving without another word.

As Gareki and Yogi stepped out of the bathroom, they immediately ran into a confused Tsukumo. “Yogi what’s going on? Jiki just told me we were getting kicked out and he stormed off without explaining!”

Yogi had no clue how to even begin to explain. As he tried to come up with some excuse, he noticed Gareki was heading for the door.

“I’m sure Jiki hasn’t gotten far. Go get Kiichi and find him, then head back to the hotel without me. I’ll meet up with you guys later,” Yogi quickly instructed, taking off after Gareki despite her protests.

* * *

 

“Gareki! Gareki wait up!” Yogi called out, finally catching up to the brunette on the street.

Gareki turned around, surprised that the blonde had followed him. “What are you doing? It seemed like you had your hands full with that girl back there.”

“I told her to go find Jiki.” Yogi did feel bad for leaving Tsukumo behind. His phone was buzzing in his pocket as he spoke; no doubt it was her wondering why he had run off so abruptly. He couldn’t talk to her right now. He owed her an explanation face to face, but he couldn’t give that to her while he was still upset. He needed time to gather his thoughts. “She’ll be fine, but I couldn’t let you go without apologizing.”

“Apologize?” Gareki repeated in confusion. “For what? What happened back there wasn’t your fault.”

“But you still got dragged into it because of me. Jiki insulted you and you didn’t deserve that. I don’t know if you should have punched him, but he definitely went too far with the things he said.”

“It’s okay. You should be angry over the things he said about you, not me. The way he lashed out at you was completely uncalled for.”

“Thanks by the way, for standing up for me,” Yogi said with an embarrassed smile. “You didn’t have to do that.”

“I didn’t _have_ to, but that guy was pissing me off. What are you planning on doing about him anyway?” Gareki asked, surprised with himself for showing so much concern.

Yogi frowned; he hadn’t actually thought about how he was going to handle this mess with Jiki yet. He was probably spilling all his secrets to the girls as they spoke. Yogi couldn’t get the way he had looked at him out of his mind, as if he was sickened by the sight of him. Jiki had hurt him badly; he was the last person the blonde wanted to see right now, and he was sure the feeling was mutual. “Going back to the hotel tonight might be a bad idea. I think he needs some time to cool off before I try to talk to him. Maybe…maybe I could stay at your place?”

“What?” the brunette was taken aback. “You mean like, at my apartment? Sorry, but that’s not going to happen. It’s nothing personal, it’s just…you just can’t.”

Yogi was perplexed by Gareki’s sudden change in tone. He had never seen him get flustered before. “I know you don’t know me very well and I don’t want to impose, but it would only be for tonight. I don’t have anyone else to ask.” 

Gareki folding his arms across his chest and sighed; this was a terrible idea, but he couldn’t ignore the pathetic look on the blonde’s face as he pleaded with him. “Fine. Only for tonight though. I’m kicking you out as soon as its morning,” he consented reluctantly.

“Thanks Gareki!” Yogi smiled brightly, throwing his arms around the brunette who promptly pushed him away.

The two of them got on the subway, Yogi attempting to make small talk as they made their way to Gareki’s apartment. After a painfully long ride on Gareki’s part, they finally arrived at their stop.

Yogi followed the brunette closely as he led him through the streets. They were in a very rundown area of the city, worlds away from the bright lights and busy streets near the club. Gareki escorted him into a shabby apartment building and took him up the stairs, pausing in front of the door.

“There’s something I should tell you before we go inside,” the brunette said nervously. “It’s not going to be just the two of us here.”

“Oh…” Yogi was caught off guard by the statement. Was Gareki having a customer over tonight? That must be it; it explained why he hadn’t wanted him to come in the first place. How could he have been so stupid not to realize? But if that was the case, what was he so anxious about? It wasn’t as if Yogi was unaware of his profession. Regardless, he was putting himself in an uncomfortable situation. “I probably shouldn’t have come here. I can leave if you’d like.”

“It’s fine, really. We’re already here so you might as well come in. I just wanted to warn you.” Gareki shrugged, unlocking the door and letting them inside.

“Gareki! You’re back!”

Yogi’s eyes widened in shock as a teenage girl ran to the door and threw her arms around the brunette. A few seconds later a boy the same age appeared from the hallway, welcoming him home. The blonde stood there, completely at a loss of what to or say. Whatever he had been expecting, it wasn’t this.

“Gareki, who is this? You never bring anyone home,” The girl commented as she noticed Yogi in the doorway. She was pretty in an understated sort of way, her caramel-colored hair pulled back in a messy ponytail.

“This is Yogi. He’s going to stay here tonight,” Gareki replied casually. “Yogi, this is Tsubame and Yotaka, my sister and brother.”

“These are your siblings? It’s nice to meet you!” Yogi exclaimed, shaking both of their hands. “I didn’t know Gareki had a brother and sister.”

“So are you Gareki’s friend? I don’t remembering him mentioning you before,” the Yotaka spoke up, giving the blonde a confused look.

“Um, actually we just met yesterday, so I guess we are more like acquaintances,” Yogi replied, feeling awkward trying to explain their relationship. “I got in a bit of a predicament and your brother told me I could stay for the night. I hope I’m not inconveniencing you all.”

“Not at all! Make yourself at home!” Tsubame smiled sweetly.

“All right, it’s late we are going to bed,” Gareki chimed in, grabbing Yogi’s arm and pulling him into his bedroom. “Wait in here for a minute. I’m going to find you a pillow.”

Yogi didn’t understand why Gareki pulled him away from his siblings so quickly, but he did as he was told and waited. Feeling curious, he took a look around the room. It was twice as small as his own bedroom, but twice as clean. The bookshelf in the corner was completely filled. Scanning over the titles, Yogi noticed every book was related to mechanics. He heard the doorknob turn and quickly turned around, pretending like he wasn’t snooping.

“Here you go,” Gareki said as he threw a pillow at the blonde. “I would get you something to wear to bed, but you are so much taller than me I don’t think anything will fit. You’re okay sleeping in your underwear, right?”

“Yeah, that’s fine with me,” Yogi replied, unsure why he was getting embarrassed. He began to unbutton his shirt when he recalled the clothes he was wearing were Jiki’s. He felt sick to his stomach remembering the way he spoke to him. Jiki and the girls were probably talking about him right now; he dreaded thinking about confronting them in the morning. Still, he felt like he was doing the right thing, giving everyone the night to process everything. Yogi looked over at Gareki who was changing from his tight-fitting clothes into a baggy t-shirt and boxers. This boy he knew nothing about had taken him in when he needed help; his problems might be rooted in his encounters with Gareki, but he felt nothing but gratitude toward him at the moment. “So, you like mechanics?” he asked shyly, hoping he could try to get to know Gareki better.

“Huh? Oh yeah…I do,” the brunette responded. He seemed a bit uncomfortable talking about himself. “I like to see how things work. I can fix just about anything.”

“Really? That’s cool! Have you ever thought about going to school for engineering?” Yogi asked, interested to know more.

Gareki frowned, turning away from Yogi. “No. I’ll never be able to afford anything like that.”

“Sorry, I wasn’t thinking. That was really none of my business,” Yogi apologized, feeling terrible for bringing up a sensitive issue. “Um…you’re brother and sister seem nice,” he changed the subject.

“Yeah, they are good kids. Sorry I dragged you away from them like that. It’s just, I can get pretty protective of them. The last thing I want to do is get them involved with the shit going on in my life.”

“And you consider me a part of that?” Yogi asked, not sure if he wanted to hear the answer.

“Well, you’re not like any other client I’ve had, I’ll give you that,” Gareki chuckled. He sat down on the bed beside Yogi, his expression becoming more serious. “I was thinking on the way here, this fight with your friend is my fault. If I hadn’t of coerced you into having sex with me none of this would have happened. I could have been a nice person and simply directed a lost stranger to a hotel and been done with it, but I’m not a nice person. I guess I owed it to you to help you out tonight.”

“You shouldn’t blame yourself!” Yogi cried. “Jiki isn’t usually like that. I think he’s angry at me for lying more than anything.  This fight is between us, and even if you ended up involved, it wasn’t your fault. I don’t regret anything I’ve done with you and I certainly don’t regret meeting you. You’re not a bad person, Gareki.”

“You’re wrong about that. You don’t know the things I’ve done to make a few dollars. You don’t know anything about me.”

“So tell me. Tell me everything and let me judge for myself.” Yogi slowly put a hand on Gareki’s shoulder, trying to let him know he was there for him.

“You really want to know?” Gareki questioned, his eyes searching Yogi’s for signs of sincerity. “Okay, I guess I can tell you,” he sighed. “Yotaka and Tsubame? They aren’t my real brother and sister, not by blood anyway. My parents gave me up when I was eight because they couldn’t take care of me anymore. I’m not sure they had ever wanted me in the first place. The kids in the orphanage tormented me on a daily basis. When they started beating and tying me up so I would miss my meals, I knew I had to get out of there. I ran away, but I had nowhere to go. I took refuge in an abandoned building near here, stealing what I needed to get by, until the day Tsubaki found me.”

“Tsubaki?”

“She was Yotaka and Tsubame’s older sister. Even though she was trying to take care of her siblings and her grandfather in the hospital, she still took me in. I thought she was some sort of angel,” Gareki smiled fondly to himself.

“You said ‘she was’. Did something happen to her?” Yogi asked.

“She started dating someone who beat her. She never said anything, but from the bruises she’d come home with it was obvious. She relied on him too much. He was basically paying for our meals, so she had no easy way to get out of the relationship. One day I heard him yelling at her outside. He was screaming at her at the top of his lungs, but suddenly it got really quiet. I went outside to see what was wrong and there she was, lying on the sidewalk. He was nowhere in sight. That sick bastard choked her to death and ran away like a fucking coward. I have no idea if the police even arrested him.”

Gareki paused for a moment, getting his emotions under control before he continued. Yogi was silently hanging on to his every word.

“Seeing what relying on someone for our welfare had done to her… I vowed I would never make that mistake. I would do whatever it took to take care of Yotaka and Tsubame on my own. I started stealing again. At first little things, but it wasn’t enough for us to get by. Soon I was breaking into rich people’s apartments and taking whatever I could carry that looked expensive. I ended up getting caught by this guy Hirato. I thought he was going to press charges, but instead he told me I was going about things the wrong way, that he could help me make a more substantial living. So I sold myself to him, and well you know the rest.” Gareki fell silent, anxiously awaiting Yogi’s response. “Aren’t you going to say anything?” he asked, turning to look at the blonde for the first time since he started his story. He was surprised to see tears welling up his violet eyes.

“Gareki…” Yogi pulled the brunette into a gentle embrace.

“Why are you hugging me?” Gareki complained, though he made no attempt to move.

“You shouldn’t have had to go through any of that. You shouldn’t have to live this way. It’s not fair,” Yogi said as he choked back tears. He was trying to do the comforting, but he seemed like the one who needed comforted.

“Why do you care so much? It’s not like any of this concerns you.”

Before, Yogi would never have understood why Gareki would ask him such a question. He had behaved the same way when the blonde had said he wanted to get to know him. It made no sense at the time, but now he understood. Gareki had absolutely no reason to trust anyone. How could he believe after everything he had been through that someone would actually care about him and mean it?

“You probably won’t believe this, but there are people in this world who genuinely care about others. I like you, Gareki, and I don’t want to see you suffer. You deserve so much better than this life,” Yogi sighed, hoping his feelings got through to the other boy.

 “I don’t deserve better. All the terrible things I’ve done, I chose to do them. I let myself be fucked by strangers over and over again, let them violate me in every way possible. You don’t have any idea what it feels like, to be lying on the floor of a shit motel room covered in some disgusting guy’s cum, knowing you have to get up and do it three more times that night just so you have enough money to buy food for the week. The thing is, I don’t even care anymore. It’s second nature to me.” Gareki buried his face in Yogi’s shoulder, clinging to him like a child. It seemed as if all the feelings he was holding back came flooding forward all at once. “Your friend was right. I am nothing but trash.”

Yogi could feel something wet on his bare skin; Gareki was crying. He held him closer, rubbing his back as he tried to soothe him. “That’s not true. You were desperate. You chose to do the things you did to take care of your family. They are able to laugh and smile and be normal kids because of you. But you don’t have to take everything upon yourself. It’s okay to ask for help. I’d like to help you…if I could.”

Gareki looked up at the blonde, baffled by his kind words. How could someone this pure hearted even exist? He wiped his eyes, embarrassed that he had been crying. He couldn’t remember the last time he had cried. “For now, can you just lay here with me? That’s all I want, to lay here and forget about everything, if only for a while.”

“Of course.” Yogi smiled through his own tears, laying down in the small bed with Gareki and wrapping his arms around him once more. It was cramped, but he didn’t care; he wanted to be as close to the brunette as possible. Giving Gareki a kiss goodnight on his forehead, he softly stroked the other boy’s hair until he fell asleep. He had never seen him look so peaceful. Somehow, someway, Yogi thought as he drifted off to sleep, he would make this boy feel loved again.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologize for the lateness of this update! This chapter is a little different and will be in mostly Gareki's POV. I want to thank everyone again for the kudos and reviews they are much appreciated :)

“Yogi, wake up.”

The blonde stirred as he heard his name called, slowly opening his eyes to find Gareki lying next to him. He was happy; it was lonely waking up without the brunette the first night they spent together.

“What are you smiling for?” Gareki asked, a slight blush in his cheeks.

“I’m glad you’re still here,” Yogi replied cheerfully. Gareki’s dark hair was mussed from sleeping and he found it rather adorable. As alluring as he looked last night, Yogi liked him better this way, disheveled in his old t-shirt.

“Idiot, this is my bed. Where else would I be?” Gareki smirked as he sat up and stretched. “I didn’t know when you wanted to head out. I thought I should wake you up before it got late.”

Lamenting the loss of warmth as the brunette moved away from him, Yogi reluctantly sat up as well. He noticed the clock on the night stand read nine in the morning. “I suppose I should be going soon.” His stomach was suddenly in knots realizing he had to face Jiki again. Checking his phone, he was surprised to see he had no missed calls or texts. That was strange; he was sure at least Tsukumo would try to contact him. They must really be disgusted with him.

Suddenly there was a soft knock at the door. “Breakfast is ready!”

“I guess Tsubame decided to cook this morning,” Gareki said as he got out of bed. “You might as well stay and eat before you go. She’s probably trying to make a good impression on you.”

“Sounds good to me!” Yogi was relieved he could put off seeing his friends for a bit longer. He got dressed and followed Gareki out to the kitchen where a plate of scrambled eggs and a glass of orange juice were waiting on the table for him.

“We didn’t have anything besides eggs to cook for breakfast. I hope that’s okay!” Tsubame smiled shyly at the blonde.

“I’m sure they’re delicious,” Yogi assured her as he took a bite. They were just simple eggs but they tasted good to him. He hadn’t realized how hungry he was.

“You never make us all breakfast, Tsubame. Do you have a crush on Gareki’s friend?” Yotaka teased as he sat down next to them. 

“I’m trying to be nice to our guest!” she responded, pouting in annoyance with her twin. “Besides, he’s not my type.”

“It’s okay. I don’t think you’re his type either,” Gareki grinned knowingly at Yogi, causing the blonde to turn red with embarrassment.

Tsubame giggled at Yogi’s reaction, but her kind demeanor soon put him at ease. He had a pleasant time chatting with Gareki’s siblings while he ate. He felt like getting to know Gareki’s family was helping him get closer to the brunette in some small way. As he finished his last sip of juice, he realized the fun was over; he had no more excuses to keep him from seeing his friends.

“Thank you for the meal and for letting me stay the night. It was really nice meeting you both!” Yogi told the twins as he got ready to leave.

“I’ll walk you downstairs,” Gareki offered, grabbing his keys and heading for the door.

As they reached the front door of the apartment building, Yogi paused. He had been so worried about confronting Jiki that he hadn’t thought about when he’d see Gareki again. Meeting him at the club last night had been sheer coincidence; he couldn’t stand the thought of parting ways and leaving their next meeting up to chance again. “Gareki?” Yogi asked hesitantly. “Um…I was wondering if you wanted my number. You know, just in case you wanted to get in contact with me.”

“Sure, you can have mine too,” Gareki replied, pulling his phone out of his pocket. They exchanged phones, adding their numbers before handing them back to one another.

“I don’t want to seem rude, but I’m a little surprised you have a cell phone. Isn’t it expensive?” Yogi asked, worried he sounded too intrusive.

“Normally I wouldn’t be able to afford one. Hirato gave this to me so he can keep in touch whenever he needs me. He pays the bills for it.”

“Oh, I see.” Yogi felt uneasy as Gareki mentioned that man’s name. He essentially owned Gareki in every sense of the word. Just thinking about it made Yogi upset. “Please, don’t hesitate to call me if you need anything,” the blonde added, concerned about leaving the other boy.

“I’ll do that,” Gareki said, a slight smile on his lips as he turned to walk back up the stairs.

“Wait a second!” Yogi grabbed the brunette by the hand to stop him, giving him a gentle kiss before he left.

“Isn’t this what got you in trouble in the first place? If you keep stealing those for free, I’ll be the one in trouble next,” Gareki teased as they parted. “Now stop procrastinating and go see your friends. If they give you a hard time, you can call me.”

“Thanks, Gareki, for everything,” Yogi smiled, stepping out the door to face whatever was in store for him.

* * *

 

“Your friend seemed really nice Gareki! You should bring him around more often,” Tsubame said brightly as Gareki reentered the apartment.

“He’s not really my friend… I’m not even sure if I’m ever going to see him again,” the brunette replied truthfully.

“Really? That’s too bad,” his sister sighed. “Maybe if you had someone like him in your life, you’d smile more often.”

Gareki frowned at her comment, heading to the bathroom without another word on the subject. As he got into the shower, letting the warm water wash over him, he couldn’t help but think about what she said. What would happen if he let someone like Yogi into his life? Gareki had shut people out for so long. If he forced himself to become numb to emotion, to keep everyone at arm’s length, there was no way they could ever hurt him or take advantage of him. He had gotten used to this way of life; it wasn’t until he met Yogi that he realized how lonely he truly was. He had forgotten what it was like to have someone care about him. It went against every instinct he had, but for some reason he trusted Yogi. He was completely innocent and uncorrupted, the exact opposite of himself. Beside a light that shined as bright as Yogi, he must seem utterly filthy. No matter how long he stood in this shower, he could never scrub himself clean of all he had done. Yet the blonde still accepted him for everything that he is.

The real question was could he accept Yogi? He had opened up to the blonde in a way he had never done with anyone before. He shared his story with him, let him meet his family, but still he was held back by the same fear he always had. What if he was wrong about Yogi? What if he turned out to be just as selfish and cruel as everyone else? Or worse, what if he did let him in, and he lost him just like Tsubaki? It was so much easier to be alone.

He shut off the water and got out of the shower; he didn’t want to dwell on this anymore. After getting dressed he pulled a book off his shelf and started to read. Unable to afford to pay for television or really any form of electronic entertainment, books were his one indulgence. During the day he usually had plenty of free time and used it to get as much reading in as he could. Today, however, he couldn’t seem to get into his book at all, his mind too preoccupied with thoughts of Yogi.

Gareki’s thoughts were interrupted as his phone beeped. He saw he had a text from Hirato.

_I need to see you immediately._

 That was odd. Hirato rarely contacted him at this time of day, and it sounded important. Whatever reason he wanted to see him, he couldn’t ignore it. He threw his shoes on and headed out the door, telling the twins he was going for a walk.

Hirato’s apartment was located in a luxurious high rise, so upscale that Gareki couldn’t help but feel painfully out of place whenever he visited. Arriving on the correct floor, he found the apartment he was looking for and knocked cautiously on the door. He didn’t think Hirato would summon him like this unless he was upset with him for some reason. Gareki had always done what he was told and didn’t cause problems. He had been wracking his brain the entire way there trying to figure out what he had done wrong. Unless….no, it couldn’t be that. There was no way he knew about Yogi.

“Ah, you’re here. Take a seat, Gareki,” Hirato said calmly as he answered the door, ushering the younger boy inside. He looked handsome in his expensive suit as usual; his good looks only served to further bolster his talent for manipulation.

Gareki sat down in the chair while Hirato took a seat on the couch directly across from him. This was starting to feel like an interrogation already. “So, why did you want to see me?”

Hirato sighed, adjusting his glasses before he began. “Gareki, you’ve always been a good employee. Why is it that now you feel the need to make trouble for me? Haven’t I always treated you well? Given you everything you’ve ever needed?” he questioned. His voice and demeanor were very casual, but the iciness of his violet eyes gave away his displeasure.

“I don’t understand what I’ve done. I wouldn’t do anything to intentionally cause trouble for you,” Gareki replied, feeling more and more apprehensive as the minutes passed.

Hirato smiled, as if amused by Gareki’s ignorance. “Yesterday I got a phone call from an old friend. He was in the city and, being aware of my line of work, wished to find a companion for the night. I told him where you would be last night, thinking you would be a good fit for him. I was under the impression everything would go smoothly, so you can imagine my surprise when he calls me to tell me you left him for another man.”

Gareki paused, remembering back to last night. He must be referring to the redhead he was talking to when Yogi showed up. Now that he thought about it, the man did say he was told he could find him there. “That red haired guy, he was your friend?” he asked, his voice shaking a bit. “I didn’t know. I’m sorry that I caused you problems.”

“Gareki, is it your policy to turn down money when offered to you up front?”

“No, of course not.”

“That’s what I thought,” Hirato mused. He got up and walked over to Gareki, roughly grabbing a fist full of the brunette’s hair and pulling him off the chair; all pretenses of civility were gone in an instant. “Tell me why, then, did you turn down Tsukitachi? If another customer wanted to buy you, then take their money and have one of them wait their turn. That is your job, isn’t it? You don’t have the right to pick and choose who gets to fuck you.”

“I’m sorry! It won’t happen again I swear,” Gareki assured him, attempting to keep a straight face through the pain.

“Where is the rest of the money from last night?” Hirato demanded. “I hope you made enough to make up for your failings.”

Gareki froze in horror. He had nothing to give him. He didn’t charge Yogi last night, and instead of finding another customer, he took the blonde home with him. His soft spot for Yogi had cost him more dearly than he had realized. How could he have been so stupid, letting his emotions get the best of him like that? He never would have let this happen before. “I… I didn’t make any money…” he forced himself to speak, his words barely a whisper.

The anger in Hirato’s eyes was truly frightening. He slapped Gareki’s face so forcefully he knocked him to the ground. “This isn’t like you, Gareki. You better have a damn good explanation,” he spat, kicking the younger boy hard in the stomach.

Gareki cried out in agony, the pain so excruciating his mind could barely process what was happening. He opened his mouth to speak, but his words were lost as he began to cough blood. He had to try to sit up, to get out of this vulnerable position.

The moment Gareki tried to pull himself up, Hirato kicked him back down, pinning him in place with his foot. “I didn’t say you were allowed to get up. Answer me, Gareki. If you left with another man, where is the money he paid you?”

“It’s not like that with him…he didn’t want to buy me…” It took everything Gareki had to answer him. He was sure with that last kick he had broken a rib; every breath felt like he was being stabbed.

“Then why the in the hell were you wasting time on him? Don’t tell me, is he your boyfriend? Did you really think you could keep something like that a secret from me?” Hirato bent down and pulled Gareki toward him by the collar of his shirt. “You don’t get to have your own life. You belong to me. You are supposed to be out there making _my_ money!” he growled, shaking the younger boy violently. He suddenly let Gareki drop to the floor, smoothing back his hair as he calmed his temper. “Lucky for you, I’m giving you a chance to fix what you have done. Tsukitachi has paid me for you up front and should be here any minute.”

“I can’t do it. I can’t even breathe…” Gareki struggled to pull himself up, holding his side. The pain had brought tears to his eyes that he could no longer hold back.

“All you have to do is lay there and be a good boy. I’m sure you can push through the pain, though it’s not as if you have much of a choice,” Hirato responded, his voice dripping with self-satisfaction. He took Gareki’s face in his hand, forcing him to look directly at him. “You brought this punishment on yourself, Gareki. You should be happy to make it up to me.” He wiped the blood off of the corner of Gareki’s mouth with his thumb, a smug smile upon his lips.

Hirato’s words made Gareki sick to his stomach. If he had never met Yogi, perhaps he would have truly believed he deserved to be punished. Perhaps he would have been happy to be shown this small mercy, taking the opportunity to show he could be an obedient employee. Yet all that came to mind now was the way Yogi held him, telling him that he deserved better than this, reminding him that he wasn’t alone. Sitting there on the floor, barely able to move, his own blood splattered down his shirt, he realized one thing: he _did_ deserve better than this.

“I won’t do it. I don’t want to do this anymore, any of it,” Gareki said defiantly, looking Hirato directly in the eyes without fear.

Hirato began to laugh, thoroughly amused by the younger boy. “You really think you can survive without me? You’re just a filthy little gutter rat, and you always will be. You don’t have anywhere else to go.”

“I think I’ll take my chances.” Fueled by his contempt for Hirato, Gareki finally managed to stand up, heading for the door without a second glance.

“You ungrateful little brat,” Hirato snarled, grabbing Gareki and shoving him against the wall before he had a chance to escape. “I have given you _everything_! You don’t get to walk away from me!”

Gareki could feel fingers tightening around his throat, cutting off his ability to breathe. He struggled to get away, but his consciousness was beginning to fade. He couldn’t die like this, not this way. He had tried so hard to learn from Tsubaki’s mistakes, but he had ended up just like her, dependent on someone dangerous. Now he would die just like her. He thought of Yotaka and Tsubame; who would take care of them if he was gone? Yogi had reminded him that everything he had done was to give them a decent life. Did he really go through so much hell just to have it be all for nothing? He couldn’t die now; he had people who needed him, people who loved him. He wouldn’t leave his siblings to fend for themselves.

Mustering up every ounce of energy he had left, Gareki gave Hirato a swift kick to the groin. The man cried out in pain, letting Gareki go on reflex. The brunette took this valuable opportunity to run to the door, his body moving on pure adrenaline. Though his chest was screaming out in pain, he never stopped running, not even when he got to the street. He had to get as far away from there as possible. 

After a few blocks his body gave out on him. Unable to go on, he collapsed in the middle of an alley. He thought he knew where he was going, but he couldn’t be sure; he felt as if his brain wasn’t working properly. Gareki knew he had to get to Yotaka and Tsubame immediately. Hirato had never been to his apartment, but he was sure he knew where it was. It was the first place he would look for him. He tried to stand, but his injuries had been severely exacerbated by his escape. He had yet to catch his breath, blood sputtering in his throat as he coughed. It seemed he had no choice but to rest until he was capable of moving once again.

His siblings had no phone; there was no way to warn them that they were in danger. If Hirato got to them he’d surely use them as bait to lure Gareki in. There was no way he had pushed his body to the limit to get away only to come crawling back to face an even more tortuous punishment. There was only one person he trusted enough to help him. He pulled his phone out of his pocket and dialed the number.

“Yogi? It’s Gareki. Listen carefully. I need you to come back to my place and pick up my brother and sister. Take them somewhere safe, got it? Me? I’m…”

Everything went black, his mind slowly slipping into unconsciousness.


	5. Chapter 5

Yogi stood in front of his hotel room door, trying to find the will to enter. He had been frozen in the same spot for at least five minutes.  Every time he moved to put his key in the card reader he thought he was going to throw up.

_Come on, you can do this. Just take a deep breath and open the door._

Slowly he entered the room, finding Jiki slumped on the couch. Yogi tensed at the sight of the other boy, but reminded himself he was his friend and friends should talk things out.

“I was wondering when you’d finally come inside. I could hear you shuffling around out there for ages,” Jiki spoke up without looking at the blonde.

Yogi was embarrassed, but he didn’t let it stop him from getting right to the point. He couldn’t put it off any longer. “I know you probably don’t want to see me, but we need to talk. I don’t care how disgusted you are with me and I don’t know what you’ve been telling the girls, but I think I deserve to explain my side of the story before you make any judgments,” he said resolutely, pushing aside his nerves.

Jiki looked up at him for a split second, but quickly turned his head, as if he couldn’t seem to face the blonde. “I…I didn’t tell the girls anything,” he sighed.

Yogi was taken aback, sure he misheard him. “What? You didn’t tell them? What do they think happened last night?”

“I told them I got into a fight with some random jerk in the bathroom and got kicked out. Kiichi was close to strangling me, of course. They asked where you went, so I just said you ran into someone you knew and wanted to spend some time with them.”

“I don’t understand…you were so angry with me. Why would you lie for me?” Yogi asked, confusion written all over his face.

“Well, technically it wasn’t a lie. I just didn’t tell the whole truth. I guess once I got over the shock of what happened, I realized it wasn’t my business to tell them. Besides… I was really ashamed of how I reacted,” Jiki lowered his gaze to the floor, his tone filled with remorse. “I could tell by the look on your face I was hurting you, but I was just so pissed that you lied to me and shocked about the whole situation. I lashed out without thinking and the next thing I knew I was on the floor. My jaw is still killing me, by the way. That guy looked pretty weak, but he can throw a mean punch.”

“Sorry about that. It wasn’t right of him to hit you, but in his defense you did call him trash.”

“Yeah, I suppose I deserved it. I said some awful things to you and I’m sorry,” Jiki finally looked straight at him, his golden eyes sincerely apologetic.

“I’m sorry too, for lying about him. I was just afraid of what everyone would think if they knew what I had done, and then you confirmed my fears last night. I wasn’t sure what you would say when I came here today. Thank you for not telling the girls anything. I really appreciate you covering for me,” Yogi smiled softly, feeling like a huge weight was lifted off his shoulders. His friendship with Jiki and the girls wasn’t ruined after all.

“I still want an explanation, though. Innocent little Yogi with a prostitute? How did that even happen?” Jiki questioned.

Yogi briefly explained what happened over the last few days, leaving out certain embarrassing details.

“So basically he’s taking care of his brother and sister all by himself. I really want to help him out in any way I can, I’m just not sure of what I can do for him. All I know is that he deserves a lot better than what he’s going through,” Yogi finished his story.

“What you’re telling me, then, is that you really like this guy,” Jiki responded after hearing everything.

“What? No! Well…yeah, I guess so. Is it really that obvious?” Yogi asked, his cheeks beginning to turn red.

“You were smiling the whole time you were talking about him. You’re not supposed to fall for a prostitute, idiot, you’re supposed to have sex with them and move on. Though I suppose this is you we are talking about,” Jiki teased.

“I know it’s strange to have feelings for him after such a short period of time, but there’s just something about him. I can’t stop thinking about him no matter how hard I try. I want to be there for him, to show him somebody cares for him,” the blonde explained.

“You’re a nice guy Yogi, too nice. It probably never crossed your mind, but you need to be careful,” Jiki cautioned. “People who are in his line of work, well, I don’t think they’d be in it if they had another choice, which means getting out is close to impossible. I don’t want you getting in over your head here.”

“I have thought about it...” Yogi’s sighed, his smile fading. “I know I shouldn’t get mixed up in something dangerous, but I don’t want him to be in that situation either. I can’t just leave him like that, struggling every day to get by, forced to do the things he does.”

“I know you want to help him…just, don’t do anything stupid, okay?” Jiki clapped a hand on Yogi’s shoulder. “Listen, I don’t completely understand why you would want to be with someone like him, but no matter what happens, I’ll try to be more supportive. I swear.”

Yogi smiled once more, relieved he had his friend back. “So, Kiichi’s pretty mad, huh?”

“Oh, she’s furious. I told her we could go shopping in Shibuya today to make it up to her and Tsukumo. I was hoping you would come back before we left.”

“I definitely owe them. I suppose being dragged around carrying shopping bags isn’t the worst punishment. Just give me a minute to get ready,” Yogi said as he hurried into the bathroom to take a quick shower.

Washed and dressed, Yogi headed across the hall with Jiki to the girls’ room, where they were met with a scowl from Kiichi as she answered the door. “It’s about time. I swear we are always waiting for Yogi. We should have just left without him.”

“I know you are still mad about last night, but we don’t need to think about that today. Let’s just have a good time, Kiichi,” Tsukumo said with a small smile, ever the level-headed one.

Just as they were about to leave, Yogi’s phone began to ring. Looking at the caller ID, he was surprised to see it was Gareki; he hadn’t thought he would hear from him again today. He stepped away from the others and answered. “Hello?”

“Yogi? It’s Gareki. Listen carefully. I need you to come back to my place and pick up my brother and sister. Take them somewhere safe, got it?”

Something was wrong.  There was a fierce urgency in Gareki’s voice as he spoke, not to mention his breathing was noticeably labored. “Gareki what’s wrong? Where are you?” the blonde asked with concern.

“Me? I’m…”

There was nothing on the other end of the line. The call hadn’t dropped out; Yogi could still see that it was connected as he looked at the screen. “Gareki? Gareki what happened? Gareki!” he cried frantically, but only silence filled his ears.

“Yogi? Is everything okay?” Tsukumo asked, confused by the look of distress on the blonde’s face. 

Yogi was frozen in place, unable to process what just happened. He remembered what Gareki had said, though: go get his brother and sister. He didn’t understand what was happening, but if Gareki asked him for something it must be important. “I-I have to go. Something suddenly came up…” he trailed off, turning to leave.

“Yogi wait! What happened?” Jiki caught him before he could go.

“Gareki… I think he’s in trouble. He wants me to go get his siblings and take them somewhere safe,” Yogi replied, his voice shaking.

Jiki frowned. “I was worried something like this would happen. You shouldn’t get involved, but I know you will anyway. Just go get those kids and bring them back here. Don’t get into any trouble yourself.”

“Thanks. I’ll try not to.” Yogi looked over Jiki’s shoulders at the girls, both of them looking utterly confused as to what was going on. He walked back over to them, knowing they deserved an explanation that he couldn’t give them now. “I’m really sorry, but there is something important I need to do. I swear I’ll explain everything when I get back. Go out and have fun today, okay? I’ll be back as soon as I can,” he assured them, flashing them a forced smile before running off.

* * *

 

By the time Yogi got to the apartment it had started to pour. He hurried inside the building before he got completely drenched and rushed up the stairs to the apartment, knocking hard on the door. Based on the tone of Gareki’s voice, he assumed he had no time to lose. The blonde had been going over a million scenarios in his head on the way over, trying to figure out what happened. The most puzzling and disturbing question was why Gareki disappeared at the end of the phone call. Did his phone get knocked out of his hand? Was he hurt? Or was it something worse? What he did know is that Tsubame and Yotaka would be in some sort of danger if they stayed here. He had to get them out.

“Yogi? What are you doing back here? Did you forget something earlier?” Tsubame asked, surprised to see him as she let him inside.

“Tsubame, where’s Yotaka?”

“He’s in his room. Why, is something wrong?” she looked at the blonde perplexed.

“Go get him. We need to leave. I can’t really explain since I don’t fully get what’s going on myself, but Gareki is in trouble,” Yogi said in a serious yet calm manner so as not to alarm her. “I’m going to take you back to my hotel room until we figure out what to do next.”

Tsubame’s eyes went wide as Yogi spoke, but she didn’t panic as the blonde expected. “I understand... Let me go get Yotaka,” she responded, her voice steady as she moved swiftly down the hall to her twin’s room. She quickly explained the situation and they both stuffed a few things into a bag to take with them.

As Yogi waited for them, he thought he heard a noise coming from the stairwell. He turned to look over his shoulder and his heart stopped. Someone was trying the door handle to see if it was locked. It couldn’t be Gareki; he had a key. This was the reason Gareki had sent him here. There was someone coming after them. The handle stopped shaking and soon there was a knock on the door. Whoever was on the other side was testing to see if someone would open up for them.

“Hey guys, we have a problem,” Yogi said as he bolted into the bedroom. “There’s someone at the door and I’m pretty sure we don’t want to run into them. Is there another way out of here?” He spoke in hushed tones, hoping whoever was out there wouldn’t hear anyone inside. Suddenly there was a loud bang, like someone was attempting to kick in the door. Regardless of whether they thought someone was in the apartment or not, they were forcing their way inside.

“Quick, we can use the fire escape,” Yotaka said as he opened his window. “Yogi, you come out last and close the window so they don’t know we went this way. With any luck they’ll think we had never been there.” He climbed out and started down the stairs, helping Tsubame along with him.

Yogi did as he was told and shut the window behind him, making his way down four flights of dangerously rusted metal stairs. They hit the ground and started running, checking periodically to see if they were being followed. Even though Yogi didn’t see anyone, he didn’t want to take any chances. He kept them moving until they got to the subway station and safely on the train.

“That was too close,” Yogi sighed, leaning back against the seat. All three of them were thoroughly soaked from the rain. As he rang the water out of the bottom of his shirt, he glanced over at the twins; he could tell they were confused and worried, but they both appeared to be taking everything in stride. “You two must be pretty shocked. Are you doing all right?” he asked, concerned they were trying to put on a strong front for him.

“I’m worried about my brother and that was a bit scary, but I can’t say that I’m shocked,” Tsubame answered. “I don’t know exactly what it is that Gareki does, but I’m not stupid. I know he’s been getting involved with things he shouldn’t for our sake. He’s incredibly stubborn, though. Even if I were to tell him to stop, that we would find another way to get by, he wouldn’t listen. He always takes everything on by himself. And now… now something terrible has happened because of it.” Tears began to well up in her eyes, suddenly spilling over all at once. She had been holding them in this whole time.

Yotaka put an arm around his sister to comfort her. “I think…I think I know where he might be,” he spoke up, addressing Yogi. “Gareki only ever gets texts from one person. He’s never told us about him directly before, but I’ve seen the name on the screen when the messages come. His name is Hirato.”

“Hirato?” Yogi knew that name; it belonged to Gareki’s employer.

“I heard Gareki’s phone go off not long after you left this morning. He said he was going for a walk and left, but I’m sure he was going to meet this Hirato guy.”

Yogi’s apprehension grew as he began to piece together in his head what had happened. Gareki must have done something to anger Hirato and he went after the twins. Gareki had been able to call him, which means he must have gotten away from him, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t in danger. If this man was willing to break into an apartment and kidnap children, who knows what he would do to Gareki. If the brunette had gone to meet Hirato, then the best place to start looking for him would be around where Hirato lived. The problem was in figuring out where that was. He looked over at the twins again. Tsubame had her head rested on Yotaka’s shoulder, tears still slowly falling down her cheeks. First thing was first: he needed to make sure these two were safe. He could think about what to do next once they were in the hotel.

* * *

 

Yogi got the twins back to his hotel room without any incident. Both wet and exhausted, he told them they were welcome to use the shower and take a nap. Meanwhile, Yogi sat down on the couch and dialed the number of someone he thought might be able to give him information.

“You’ve reached the governor’s office. How can I help you?” a female voice answered.

“Um, hi this is Yogi? I was wondering if I could speak with my dad.”

“Oh Yogi! It’s been ages since you’ve been into the office I almost didn’t recognize your voice. I’ll put you right through to him,” the secretary responded as she redirected his call.

“Yogi? I’m surprised you called!” his father exclaimed as he picked up the line. “How are you? You’re here in Tokyo now aren’t you? You should stop by the office and pay your old man a visit!”

“Yeah, I’m fine, but dad I need your help. I don’t have a lot of time to explain, but someone I care about is in trouble.” Yogi quickly gave him the gist of what happened, leaving out the unessential details. “I don’t know why, but now Hirato is after my friend and his family. Do you know anything about him?” he asked after explaining what he could.

“Know about him? We’ve been having problems with him for years! Your friend certainly got himself mixed up with the wrong person,” Yogi’s father replied. “We know that he runs the largest prostitution ring in the city, but it seems like the police can never get enough evidence to arrest him on any charges. He’s smart and cunning and knows how to manipulate things to his advantage. If he really is after your friend, it might already be too late.”

“I don’t want to hear that! I have to find him!” Yogi cried. “Do you know where he lives?”

“He has an apartment in Azabu, but Yogi, I don’t want you running off and getting yourself into trouble,” his father warned.

“Believe me dad, the last thing I want right now is more trouble, but I can’t just leave Gareki. I’ll go looking for him whether you want me to or not, but with your help it will be faster,” the blonde responded, firm in his decision.

Yogi’s father heaved a sigh. “I’ll have his address sent to your phone. Please Yogi, stay safe.”

“I will. Thanks dad. This means a lot to me.”

A few minutes after hanging up Yogi received a text with Hirato’s exact address. He peeked into the bedroom, finding Tsubame asleep in the bed. Yotaka was in the shower, so Yogi quickly wrote them a note saying he would be back as soon as he could and not to leave the hotel room. He headed out the door, hoping his dad’s help would pan out. If he couldn’t find Gareki….he didn’t even want to think about it. He _would_ find him, not only for his sake, but for Yotaka and Tsubame’s as well. They needed their brother, and Yogi was determined to bring him back to them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is so late and I'm very sorry! I got a new job since I posted last and it's kept me pretty busy. But I finally got it done and I hope everyone liked it! The next chapter will most likely be the last, so stay tuned for the ending! Once again thank you to everyone who reviewed I truly appreciate it and look forward to more reviews for this chapter!


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